Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who successfully ran for Congress in 1996 as a crusader for gun control after a mass shooting on a New York commuter train left her husband dead and her son severely wounded, has died. She was 81.<\/p>\n
News of her death was shared Thursday by several elected officials on her native Long Island and by Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Committee. Details about her death were not immediately available.<\/p>\n
McCarthy went from political novice to one of the nation\u2019s leading advocates for gun control legislation in the aftermath of the 1993 Long Island Rail Road massacre. However, the suburban New York Democrat found limited success against the National Rifle Association and other Second Amendment advocates.<\/p>\n
McCarthy announced in June 2013 that she was undergoing treatment for lung cancer. She announced her retirement in January 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom dedicated her life to transforming personal tragedy into a powerful mission of public service,\u201d her son, Kevin McCarthy, who survived the shooting, told Newsday<\/a>. \u201cAs a tireless advocate, devoted mother, proud grandmother and courageous leader, she changed countless lives for the better. Her legacy of compassion, strength and purpose will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n New York Gov. Kathy Hochul directed flags on all state government buildings to be flown at half-staff Friday in honor of the congresswoman.<\/p>\n \u201cRepresentative Carolyn McCarthy was a strong advocate for gun control and an even more fierce leader,\u201d Hochul said.<\/p>\n Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi said the nation has \u201clost a fierce champion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCarolyn channeled her grief and loss into advocacy for change, becoming one of the most dedicated gun violence prevention advocates,\u201d Suozzi said on X.<\/p>\n She became a go-to guest on national TV news shows after each ensuing gun massacre, whether it was at Columbine High School or Sandy Hook Elementary School.<\/p>\n Known as the \u201cgun lady\u201d on Capitol Hill, McCarthy said she couldn\u2019t stop crying after learning that her former colleague, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, had been seriously wounded in a January 2011 shooting in Arizona.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like a cancer in our society,\u201d she said of gun violence. \u201cAnd if we keep doing nothing to stop it, it\u2019s only going to spread.\u201d<\/p>\n During one particularly rancorous debate over gun show loopholes in 1999, McCarthy was brought to tears at 1 a.m. on the House floor.<\/p>\n \u201cI am Irish and I am not supposed to cry in front of anyone. But I made a promise a long time ago. I made a promise to my son and to my husband. If there was anything that I could do to prevent one family from going through what I have gone through then I have done my job,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me go home. Let me go home,\u201d she pleaded.<\/p>\n McCarthy was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. She became a nurse and later married Dennis McCarthy after meeting on a Long Island beach. They had one son, Kevin, during a tumultuous marriage in which they divorced but reconciled and remarried.<\/p>\n